Congress Sends another Strong Message to White House on Users Fees

WASHINGTON, DC, March 1, 2012 – In a show of fervent opposition to aviation user fees, 195 members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a bipartisan letter to President Obama today expressing contempt toward an Administration budget proposal that would impose a $100 per flight fee on general and commercial aviation.

Chairman Tom Petri (R-WI) and Ranking Member Jerry Costello (D-IL) of the Aviation Subcommittee, along with Representatives Sam Graves (R-MO) and John Barrow (D-GA), co-chairs of the House General Aviation Caucus, authored the letter that described the devastating impact user fees would have on general aviation and manufacturing.

The letter, which the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and its member companies played an active role in building support for, stated, “Aviation user fees have been proposed several times by different Administrations, both Republican and Democrat. Congress has repeatedly and overwhelmingly rejected them.”

“A huge coalition of 195 members of the House, that includes the bipartisan leadership of the transportation authorization and appropriations committees, are sending the Obama Administration a clear message that user fees are not an option,” said GAMA President and CEO, Pete Bunce. “We are grateful for the leadership provided by the House Aviation Subcommittee and the House General Aviation Caucus. They have been key in uniting Congress against this ill-conceived proposal. User fees raise safety concerns, place undue burdens on the general aviation industry, and require the creation of a costly new federal collection bureaucracy.”

GAMA is an international trade association representing over 70 of the world's leading manufacturers of general aviation airplanes and rotorcraft, engines, avionics, components and related services. GAMA's members also operate repair stations, fixed based operations, pilot and maintenance training facilities and they manage fleets of aircraft. GAMA fosters and advances the welfare, safety, and interests of general aviation by working with governments and the industry to promote a better understanding of the important role general aviation plays worldwide in economic growth and development. GAMA is headquartered in Washington, DC, with a European office in Brussels, Belgium. For additional information, visit GAMA's website at www.GAMA.aero.